"Miracle"

I'm not really a sports fan/viewer as most of you know. But I lurvveee watching ice-hockey. :)
Well, part of it has to do with the cute guys skating away at high speed on ice...how hot is that? But anyway, I digress. My boss gave me this dvd to watch "Miracle"(2004)....and at first I was kinda reluctant to get down to it. But when I finally did, I was SOOOO invigorated, and inspired by it, that I ended up watching it 3 times!

Here's a plot summary that I ripped off Amazon.com. (too lazy to rephrase myself):
"Miracle- The inspiring story of the team that transcended its sport and united a nation with a new feeling of hope. Based on the true story of one of the greatest moments in sports history, the tale captures a time and place where differences could be settled by games and a cold war could be put on ice. In 1980, the United States Ice Hockey team's coach, Herb Brooks, took a ragtag squad of college kids up against the legendary juggernaut from the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games. Despite the long odds, Team USA carried the pride of a nation yearning from a distraction from world events. With the world watching the team rose to the occasion, prompting broadcaster Al Michaels' now famous question, to the millions viewing at home: Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"

As a coach myself, I really learnt impt lessons from this film. I loved Herb Brooks' creative and dedicated coaching style. He knew each of his players so well, that he knew all the right 'buttons to press' when he needed to get the best out of them. He didn't tell them what they wanted to hear, he told them what they NEEDED to hear. Many people thought that Herb Brooks was exceedingly harsh on his team....but this man truly cared for his team, and believed in their potential, and he did whatever it took, to help them fulfil it- including pushing them to their limits and ticking them off when neccessary.

There was a method in his madness, a reason for everything thing he did.
He had the courage to dream, to challenge the odds, when the rest of the world cowered in fear and self-resignation.

Here are some excellent quotes from Herb Brooks:

Herb Brooks on his coaching style:
"You cannot PUT greatness into people. You have to pull it out, draw it out of them. You have to believe in them, and help them to see what was inside them all along."

"You know, Willie Wonka said it best: We are the makers of dreams, the dreamers of dreams. We should be dreaming. We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we're too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams. I'm a dreamer."


"Great moments... are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here, tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game. If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can! Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players. Every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it."